In one of the best matchups so far this NCAA basketball season, Syracuse and Villanova will square off in upstate New York on Saturday.

Canadians will be paying extra attention, because two of the finest young players this country has produced will be squaring off.

The McIntyre-Ennis household of Brampton will be paying especially close attention, since those two players are brothers Tyler and Dylan Ennis.

Tyler, about two-and-a-half years younger than Dylan, is the lead guard on the No. 2-ranked Orange and is in the midst of a monster freshman season, showing none of the typical first-year jitters.

After playing high school ball in New Jersey, where he earned state player of the year recognition last season, the younger Ennis has averaged 12.1 points, 5.4 assists (against just 1.2 turnovers), 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals, shooting 42% from the field (43.5% from three-point range).

Everyone knew he was good, he’s considered a contender to start for the Canadian national team one day and a future NBAer, the surprise is just how strong and how fast he has become an elite college player.

Meanwhile, after sitting out a year as a redshirt transfer from Rice University and coming back from an injury, Dylan Ennis has been a major contributor for surprising Villanova, like Syracuse, off to an 11-0 start. Though he’d be a starter on many squads and might be used exclusively as a point guard elsewhere, instead of at both spots for guard-oriented Villanova, Ennis is being used by Wildcats head coach Jay Wright as an off-the-bench sparkplug. Ennis is averaging 9.1 points, 3.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds and shooting 38.5% from outside.

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, a proud Villanova product, played pickup ball against Dylan in Lowry’s native Philadelphia last summer and liked what he saw.

Both go all out on the court and play well above their size.

“I played against Dylan in the summer, he’s a tough kid, really impressive,” Lowry said.

The brothers circled this date on the calendar and both hoped their teams would be elite. Still, few saw these starts coming. Not after Syracuse lost likely NBA rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams — who took quite a lot longer than his replacement to adapt to the NCAA game — and not with Villanova being an afterthought for several years now. The Wildcats lost 19 games just two seasons ago.

But here they are, two storied programs trying to return to the Final Four.

They’ll each get a huge test Saturday. And the brothers, as close as can be off of the court, will each be going for the jugular.

“I love him to death, he is my best friend, but tomorrow when I play him, he’s just another player on another team we have to beat,” Dylan Ennis told the Toronto Sun on Friday.

Dylan is the second-oldest in the family after Brandon, a graduate of the University of the District of Columbia. Tyler’s third-oldest. Sisters Brittany, 14 and Dominique, 9, are still at home with youngster Tyylon, 5, already an avid basketball fan, and parents Suzette Ennis and Tony McIntyre, who coached Tyler and Dylan.

Saturday will be the first time they’ve played against each other in a regulation game, though. More than family bragging rights will be on the line.

CANADIANS MAKING NOISE

With more Canadians than ever competing in the NCAA, perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that so many are making an impact with some of the top programs.

Besides Brampton’s Tyler Ennis, a freshman star for No. 2 ranked Syracuse and his brother Dylan, a crucial player for No. 8 (in the AP polls) Villanova, a host of others are rotation and impact players.

The list includes Burlington’s Chadrack Lufile and Vaughan’s Nick Wiggins with Wichita State, a surprise Final Four squad last year, now ranked No. 8 in the USA Today poll and No. 11 with AP. Both are averaging about 16 minutes a game and rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in scoring.

Montreal’s Kenny Chery has been superb in his first year for Baylor, ranked No. 11/12 in the polls, sitting second on the Bears in scoring and first in assists and free throw percentage. Burlington’s Brady Heslip is third on the team in scoring and is connecting on 49.2% of his three-point attempts.

Canadian brothers Tyler and Dylan Ennis square off in Syracuse-Villanova game

In one of the best matchups so far this NCAA basketball season, Syracuse and Villanova will square off in upstate New York on Saturday.

Canadians will be paying extra attention, because two of the finest young players this country has produced will be squaring off.

The McIntyre-Ennis household of Brampton will be paying especially close attention, since those two players are brothers Tyler and Dylan Ennis.

Tyler, about two-and-a-half years younger than Dylan, is the lead guard on the No. 2-ranked Orange and is in the midst of a monster freshman season, showing none of the typical first-year jitters.

After playing high school ball in New Jersey, where he earned state player of the year recognition last season, the younger Ennis has averaged 12.1 points, 5.4 assists (against just 1.2 turnovers), 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals, shooting 42% from the field (43.5% from three-point range).

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